Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Nahari
Nahari (Morning Delight)

Nahari

Morning Delight
Non-vegetarian●●●Origin DelhiPrep 40 minutesCook 1¼–1¾ hours

A deeply savoury, slow-cooked lamb stew flavoured with aromatic whole spices and thickened with roasted chickpea flour. The meat turns fork-tender in a velvety, warmly spiced gravy.

Whole spices

18 gFried in the hot oil (step 2)
01
Black cardamom pod · Badi Elaichi
15–19 g8–10 pods
spice
02
Clove · Laung
0.3–0.4 g4–5 cloves
spice
03
Cassia bark (Chinese cinnamon) · Dalchini
2.6 g2 pieces
spice
Leave whole.

Ground spices and pastes

105 gStir-fried with the remaining onions and yogurt (step 3)
01
Ginger paste · Adrak PasteMake it: Pisi Adrak →
47 g3 tablespoons
aromatic
02
Garlic paste · Lahsun PasteMake it: Pisi Lehsun →
47 g3 tablespoons
aromatic
03
Ground coriander · Dhania Powder
5 g3 teaspoons
spice
04
Chilli powder · Lal Mirch Powder
2.6 g1 teaspoon
spice
05
Ground turmeric · Haldi
3 g1 teaspoon
spice
Combine together into a smooth paste.

Finishing spice

1.1 gAdded with the flour slurry near the end (step 5)
01
Ground black pepper · Kali Mirch Powder
1.1 g½ teaspoon
spice
Keep ground and ready to stir in.

Everything else

01
Mustard oil · Sarson Ka Tel
114 g125 ml
oil/fat
02
Onion · Pyazsliced
250 g
vegetable
03
Plain yogurt · Dahiwhisked
152 g150 ml
dairy
04
Lamb · Goshtcut into pieces
500 g
meat
05
Lamb stock · YakhniMake it: Bangla Pulao →
1491 g1½ l
liquid
06
Chickpea flour · Besanroasted
24 g4 tablespoons
flour
07
Salt · Namak
to taste
salt

Method

  1. Warm 114 g mustard oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add roughly half of the 250 g sliced onion and fry for 5 to 7 minutes until crisp and browned, then transfer with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels.
  2. Return the pan to medium heat. Tip in the whole spices and cook for 30 seconds, until the cardamom skins darken in colour.
  3. Add the rest of the sliced onion, the ground spices and pastes, 152 g whisked plain yogurt, and salt to taste. Sauté for around 2 minutes until the oil glistens and separates from the sauce.
  4. Crumble the crispy fried onions by hand into the pan and stir for 1 minute. Add 500 g lamb pieces and 1500 g stock, then heat until just below boiling. Drop the heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 1 to 1½ hours until the meat is thoroughly tender.
  5. In a small bowl, mix 4 tablespoons roasted chickpea flour with 4 tablespoons water to form a smooth paste, then pour it into the curry. Stir in the finishing spice, replace the lid, and simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove the lid and balance the seasoning with extra salt if needed.

Don't have something?

Mustard oil
  • Peanut oil

    Use equal weight. It handles high-heat cooking well, but lacks the signature pungent, nasal heat of mustard oil.

  • Vegetable oil

    Use equal weight. Neutral in flavour, so your curry will lack the characteristic Bengali or North Indian pungent punch.

Onion
  • Shallot

    Use equal weight, finely sliced. Shallots soften and brown faster, giving a slightly sweeter and more delicate base to curries.

  • Cabbage

    Use 80% of the weight, finely shredded and browned slowly with a pinch of asafoetida. Replicates the bulk and natural sweetness in gravies without allium.

Black cardamom pod
  • Ground black cardamom

    Use 0.5 g of ground seeds for each whole pod. Stir directly into the curry base; delivers identical smoky flavour without woody husks.

  • Green cardamom pod

    Use equal pod count or weight. Crack slightly and fry whole; tastes sweet, menthol-fresh, and floral rather than dark and smoky.

Clove
  • Ground cloves

    Use 1 g ground for 4 g whole (or 1 small pinch per 2 to 3 whole cloves). Add with spice powders; disperses intense warmth quickly, so use with restraint.

  • Allspice berries

    Use 100% of the weight whole in tempering. Imparts a warm, clove-like aromatic profile combined with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon.

  • Black cardamom pod

    Use 1 pod for 3 to 4 cloves in whole tempering. Shares a camphor-like warmth and medicinal depth, though it introduces a distinct smoky undertone.

Cassia bark
  • Ceylon cinnamon

    True cinnamon: thinner, papery quills, milder and sweeter. Use about 1.5 times the weight, and taste.

  • Ground cinnamon (cassia)

    Use about a third of the weight (0.5 g ground for a 2.5 cm piece), stirred in with the ground spices rather than fried whole, since the powder burns quickly.

  • Cassia buds

    Use 60-70% of the weight; stronger and more peppery, so taste before adding more.

Ginger paste
  • Fresh ginger

    Use equal weight; peel and grate very finely on a microplane or pound to a fine paste in a mortar.

  • Ginger

    Use equal weight; mince finely and crush with the flat of a knife before frying.

  • Ground ginger

    Use 20% of the weight; add directly with the dry spice powders, though it yields an earthier, less pungent profile.

Garlic paste
  • Garlic

    Use equal weight; crush or finely grate to a smooth pulp to replicate the same fresh, pungent moisture in your base gravy.

  • Garlic powder

    Use 20 to 25% of the weight; mix with a teaspoon of water before adding to oil so it does not burn, noting it lacks the fresh bite.

Ground coriander
  • Coriander seeds

    Dry-roast lightly in a pan and grind to a fine powder; use equal weight (1:1). Offers a noticeably fresher, brighter citrus note.

  • Ground cumin

    Use 50% to 75% of the weight. Lacks the floral, citrusy profile of coriander and turns the gravy heavier, earthier, and darker.

  • Garam masala

    Use 50% of the weight and stir in near the end of cooking. Adds warmth and depth since it contains ground coriander, but introduces stronger spices like clove and cinnamon.

Chilli powder
  • Red chilli powder

    Use 100% of the weight. Provides direct, sharp heat and red colour in equal measure.

  • Kashmiri chilli powder

    Use 150% to 200% of the weight if matching colour, but add a pinch of black pepper or hot chilli if you need equivalent fiery heat.

  • Cayenne pepper

    Use 75% to 100% of the weight. Offers a sharp, clean heat with slightly less earthy depth and less crimson colour.

Ground turmeric
  • Ground ginger

    Use 50% of the weight. Mimics turmeric's warm, earthy, rhizome background, but provides none of the golden-yellow colour.

  • Saffron

    Steep a tiny pinch (0.1 g per 2 g turmeric) in 2 tbsp warm water; use to match the rich golden hue. Contributes an aristocratic, honeyed floral flavour rather than earthy bitterness.

Plain yogurt
  • Yogurt

    Use equal weight, whisked thoroughly until smooth before adding to hot dishes to prevent curdling.

  • Coconut milk

    Use equal weight with 1 teaspoon lemon juice mixed in. Provides rich creaminess in curries, but adds a noticeable coconut flavour.

  • Single cream

    Use 80% of the weight plus a squeeze of lemon juice for acidity. Enriches sauces nicely, though it is richer and less tangy.

Lamb
  • Pork

    Use equal weight of pork shoulder or collar; cut into identical cubes and braise, reducing cooking time by 15-20 minutes.

  • Chicken

    Use equal weight of bone-in chicken thighs; curry simmers in roughly 25 minutes instead of over an hour, with a much lighter sauce.

Lamb stock
  • Chicken stock

    Use the same weight; lighter and less lamby. Reduce it slightly for more body.

  • Vegetable stock

    Use the same weight; vegetarian and lighter. Add a little ghee for richness.

  • Water

    Use the same weight; add extra salt and spices. Much thinner, so reduce other liquid.

Chickpea flour
  • Yellow split pea flour

    Use 100% of the weight. Many commercial gram flours are milled from split peas; performs identically in pakora batters and kadhi.

  • Cornstarch

    For crisping batters or binding cutlets: use 50% to 60% of the weight. Produces a very crisp shell but lacks the earthy, roasted nutty flavour of besan.

Ground black pepper
  • Black peppercorn

    Use 1:1 by weight; pulverise in a spice mill or mortar to a fine powder for immediate, punchy heat.

  • Coarsely ground black pepper

    Use equal weight; offers the same bite, though it gives a visibly speckled finish and firmer crunch.

Similar dishes

Bhuna Gosht (II)
Roasted Lamb
Bhuna Gosht (II) has a more direct, roasted, cumin-forward heat, lacking the pungent mustard bite and tangy, velvety richness provided by this dish's yogurt and flour gravy.
  • Same: Both dishes slow-cook lamb with onions, ginger, garlic, coriander, chilli powder, black cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves.
  • Different: Bhuna Gosht (II) uses vegetable oil and adds cumin and bay leaf, but it cooks down into a concentrated sauce without this dish's mustard oil, yogurt, black pepper, or chickpea flour thickener.
Rarha Meat
Pot-roasted Lamb
It tastes tangier and more butter-rich from the tomatoes and ghee, lacking the sharp mustard pungency and earthy chickpea-thickened body of this dish.
  • Same: Rarha Meat also features slow-cooked lamb prepared with yogurt, onions, ginger-garlic paste, cinnamon, black cardamom, turmeric, and chilli powder.
  • Different: Instead of using mustard oil and roasted chickpea flour for gravy, Rarha Meat cooks in ghee or vegetable oil with added tomatoes and bay leaf, reducing into a thick glaze.
Malgoba
Thick & Spicy Lamb Curry
Malgoba tastes substantially tangier and richer from the heavy yogurt and ghee base, but lacks the pungent bite of mustard oil and the deep, sweet warmth of garlic and cinnamon.
  • Same: Both dishes feature slow-cooked lamb prepared with yogurt, onions, ginger, black cardamom, cloves, and ground chilli.
  • Different: Malgoba cooks in ghee rather than mustard oil, omits garlic and cinnamon, and relies on over a kilogram of yogurt rather than chickpea flour to build its sauce.
Dahiwala Meat
Lamb in Yoghurt Sauce (I)
Dahiwala Meat tastes noticeably tangier and creamier, without the pungent mustard oil punch or dense, flour-thickened richness of this dish.
  • Same: Dahiwala Meat also braises tender lamb with yogurt, onions, ginger, garlic, black cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ground coriander, and chilli powder.
  • Different: Dahiwala Meat is cooked in ghee with significantly more yogurt and fresh green chillies, but omits the mustard oil, turmeric, and roasted chickpea flour thickener used in this dish.